HYDBOS – A Guidance Tool for Utilization and Protection of Hydromorphic Soils Under Changing Climate Conditions: Part I – Soil and Hydrology

Authors:
Evelyn Wallor, Janine Dzialek, Jutta Zeitz

Book:
Proceedings of the 14th International Peat Congress

Venue:
Stockholm

Keywords:
carbon-loss, climate-change, fen-soils, modelling

Documentfile:
Wallor et al 2012: HYDBOS – A Guidance Tool for Utilization and Protection of Hydromorphic Soils Under Changing Climate Conditio

Summary:

Theme III. Agricultural use of peat and peatlands

SUMMARY

In Brandenburg, North-East Germany, fen soils cover about 44 % of the area. They are principally used as grassland and, hence, affected by drainage and cultivation. Local climate trends intensify the importance of these soils according to their native functionality of carbon and water retention. To describe soil development and actual site status, previous data sets are referenced to actual soil analysis. This is exemplarily shown for intensive and extensive used sites of the Randow lowland. Calculated carbon loss accounts for intensive grassland between 2.5 and 6.5 t per ha and year, regulated by groundwater level and thickness of fen soil. As expected, carbon loss under extensive land-use is less. The applied Peatland Management Decision Support System provides with appropriate data and allows for a differentiation between the impact of drainage and land-use and the impact of local climate change.